Alice Moreno
The vast parking lot at Citi Field has been temporarily converted into an illuminated fantasy world, a rainforest filled with exotic animals hanging about with bright-colored herbage and flora decorating the scene. None of it is real, of course — in fact, they’re all handmade lanterns.
The Tianyu Lights Festival has arrived for the first time in New York City this year, bringing their dazzling traveling show to Flushing, Queens for two months. Running through January 19, the festival offers not only a plethora of brightly lit lanterns in all shapes and sizes but also a variety of meals from around the world; cultural merchandise made by artisans; and most importantly, interactive exhibits where children and adults alike can entertain themselves.
This time, however, Tianyu Arts and Culture Inc. decided to take a different route with their lights by combining two different cultures: Chinese lanterns, which is a custom that started over 2000 years ago, mixed with a Peruvian folkloric story about a young boy named Koda who ventures to the forest with his father.
“It sounds really fun if it’s an exotic place, going […] somewhere that’s entirely different,” said Huiyuan Liu, Tianyu’s special programs manager. “So we picked Peru as the background of the whole story.”
Koda’s story began in the rainforests of Eastern Peru, where he begins his adventure with his father. While struggling to fall asleep, Koda would sketch images of his experience, detailing their day-to-day lives while exploring the Amazon. The park is filled with whimsy and wonder as you traverse through Koda’s imagination: you witness fairies flying about, dragons spitting fire, and even realistic-looking statues of animals such as gorillas and tarantulas. Many of the lanterns even move — using animatronic technology, guests can witness these animals peek out of the greenery or even make noise, immersing them into Koda’s vivid imagery.
Koda’s story doesn’t end here Tianyu Arts and Culture Inc. hopes to expand his story further, turning it into a series where he travels to various places in the world.
“The key is that this allows us a lot of room to play with our imagination,” said Liu. “He can go to the rainforest, but next year, he might be going to somewhere with a big ocean.”
The fun doesn’t stop with Koda’s adventure. This year, Tianyu made an effort to make the experience more immersive, as if guests were stepping into a video game. Guests were able to interact with the exhibits, where they could play a variety of mini games such as a ball maze and air hockey. In addition, the festival hosts live shows, which are all centered around different cultures. Audience members can witness Chinese acrobats floating through the stage on certain nights, and every hour, traditional Chinese string instruments can be heard playing throughout the park.
The Tianyu Lights Festival is a joy for people of all ages that not only provides an Instagram-esque backdrop for your pictures, but also shows guests the different intricacies of Asian and Latin-American cultures. Each exhibit is unique, thoroughly showcasing Koda’s inquisitive mind and creativity as you venture into the vividly colorful, LED-lit lantern rainforest.
